Apparatus for forming smoothly rounded can bodies



F. KRUEGER Dec. 18, 1 934,

Filed Jan. 9, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 18, 1934. F. KRUEGER 1,985,039

APPARATUS FOR FORMING SMOOTHLY ROUNDED CAN BODIES Filed Jan. 9, 1953 sSheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ammmf k W ATTORNEYS.

F. KRUEGER Dec. 18, 1934.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING SMOOTHLY ROUNDED CAN BODIES Filed Jan. 9, 1935 5Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR "fiw g a *Pn A'rroR BODIES, v

Dec. 18, 1934. F. KRUEGER APPARATUS FOR FORMING SMOOTHLY ROUNDED CANFiled Jan. 9, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 18, 1934APPARATUS FOR FORMING SMOOTHLY ED CAN BODIES ROUND Frank Krueger,Brooklyn, "N. Y., assignor to E. W. Bliss Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application January 9, 1933, Serial No.

Claims. (Cl. 153-32) In my application Serial No. 628,339, filed Au-Fig. 11 is an elevation of gust 11, 1932, (patented October 17, 1933,No. Fig. 10. 1,930,662) I have set forth a method of smoothly Fig. 12 isa detailed elevation of the ejecting rounding can bodies to removeirregularities or means shown at the left in Fig. 4. flat portionstherefrom by a circumferential roll- Figs. 5 to 12 inclusive are on thesame soale'as ing of the body to impart successive and alter- Figs. 3and 4. nate wave bending to its sheet metal wall, the al- Fig. 13 is antemate wave bends being carried beyond the elasthe wave rolling or ticlimit of the metal. In said application I have on the same scale as alsoset forth an apparatus for accomplishing rection of arrow 13 therein.such wave bending, said apparatus comprising a shown in dotted lines inFig. 3. single unit adapted to operate upon only one can The parts ofthe present machine correspondbody at a time. ing to those set forth inmy aforesaid application The present invention provides an improvedapwill first be identified. paratus for practicing the said methodexpedi- With respect to any one tiously and economically, by theprovision of multhe machine, the inner roll tiple units operatingsimultaneously on a plurality ing inside the can body) is shown at 2mounted of can bodies. The machine constituting the preon its shaft ormandrel 3, and the outer rolls are ferred embodiment of the invention isadapted shown at 4 and 5, being mounted on a movable for continuousoperation, receiving a continuous carrying part whereby they movetogether toward stream of successive can bodies, applying them beor fromthe inner roll 2. tween the wave bending rollsor surfaces, effecting Thecan body B to be treated is received between the wave bending andsubsequent milder rolling end guides 34, at its opposite ends, whichserve for efiacing the residual wave bends and removto prevent itslongitudinal displacement during ing the can body from between therolling surthe operation of the wave bending rolls, and also faces andfinally ejecting the successive bodies in the present construction areutilized as the thus treated from the machine. means for feeding the canbody to and from the The machine in its preferred embodiment is workingposition. illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- In themultiple machine these parts pertaining into a single unit are mountedon rotary carriers Fig. 1 is and caused to revolve around a fixed axis,which Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section. is' preferablyhorizontal. In the construction Fig. 3 is a transverse section on alarger scale shown this axis is constituted by a stationary than Fig. 2,the plane of the section being indishaft H which is supported onpedestals I, I pro- LJ cated by the line 33 in Fig. 2. jecting from abase or table J, which may be ele- Fig. 4 is a vertical transversesection on the vated on legs K, K. In fixed relation with the same scaleas Fig. 3, the plane of the section beshaft are two stationary cams Land M. The ing indicated on the line H in Fig. 2. cam L is a grooveddisk fixed to a stationary gear Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinalsection il- N, which is keyed to the shaft. Around its pelustrating themeans for feeding the can bodies to riphery, in mesh with its teeth areplanet pinions or from the wave bending position, the plane of a, a,which are fixed on the ends of the inner the section being on the line5-5 in Figs. 3 and 4. spindles 3, 3 of the respective units. In the ma-Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of chine illustrated thereare eight of these units. the means for advancing the wave bendingrolls, The eight spindles 3, 3 are carried in bearings the plane of thesection being on the line 6-6 in b, b, fastened to a revolving carrierP, which Figs. 3 and 4. is mounted to turn freely on the shaft H. TheFig. '7 is an elevation of the movable parts carrier P is fixedlyconnectedto a carrier Q in the shown in Fig. 6, viewed in the directionof the arform of a hollow shell having its hub c mounted row '1 therein.to turn freely on the shaft H. For driving the Fig.8isasimilar elevationof such parts, viewed carriers Q and P, a gear wheel 11 fixed on the inthe direction of arrow 8 in Fig. 6. hub c is engaged by a pinion c on adriving shaft Fig. 9 is a fragmentary'view, being a section on f, onwhich, outside the bearing 1', is a pulley g the line 9-9 in Fig. 6. orother means of applying power, controlled by Fig. 10 is a sectionaldetail of Fig. 5, the parts a lever g which may apply a clutch. Thefixed being in the wave bending position. connection between thecarriers P and Q is best the parts shown in elevation of the cam foroperating. roll advancing toggles, being Fig. 2 and looking in the di-The same cam is of the multiple units of (i. e., the roll operataperspective view of the machine.

shown in Fig. 5. The carrier Q is shown as formed of an end disk It anda cylindrical shell 2' which is contracted to the dimensions of asmaller shell 7 having an intermittent flange which is bolted by bolts kto a flange on the carrier P, as shown. The outer shell 2' encloseswithin it the stationary drum cam M, to be described.

The carrier P carries the wave forming rolls 2, 4, 5, while the carrierQ carries the means for feeding the can bodies to the rolls, guidingthem during the wave rolling operation and removing them therefrom prenary to their being ejected from the machine.

For the mounting of the movable rolls 4, 5 of the respective units, thecarrier P is formed on its opposite ends with radial slots or slidewaysm, m, best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, in which move slides 12, 12, bestshown in Figs. 4, 6, 7 and 8. The rolls 4, 5 are shown as tubular rollshaving roller bearing mountings on pins 0. The two pins 0, of each unitare fastened at their opposite ends in the two slides 12, n of thatunit, as best shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

The two slides 11, n are moved radially outward and inward together.Their outward movement brings the rolls 4, into operative engagementwith the inner roll 2 for performing the wave rolling operation, as bestshown in Fig. 3 at the right hand and lower part of the figure; theirinward movement carries the rolls away from the inner roll 2, as shownat the left and upper part in Fig. 3. These movements are imparted tothe guides 11., n by toggle connections under control of the sinuous camgroove 1: of the cam L. This groove is traversed by rollers q, q carriedon arms 1', t (one for each unit), each arm being mounted fixedly on oneend of a rock shaft s having bearings in the carrier P. On this shaftare fixed two toggle arms t, t at opposite ends, jointed to toggle linksu, u, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, these links having pin connections withthe slides .22, n. Thus, as the cam groove moves the rollers out or in,the spindles s are rocked and the toggles t, u, straightened or buckledto force the slides outward or draw them inward and thereby control theco-action of the wave forming rolls. For the adjustment of the togglest, uwhereby to control the throw of the slides 12, n the roller carryingarm 1' is shown as provided with adjusting screws 1:, 1; (Figs. 7 and 9)which engage the side of the toggle arm t so that the angular relationof the lever arms r and t may be varied and thereby the toggles broughtmore or less nearly to their straight relation in the active positionsof the rolls 4, 5.

The can body guides 34, 35 of each unit are carried on sliding rods w,11:, best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, which rods are mounted in pairs with acrosshead y connecting them which carries a roller .2 which rolls in thecam groove 112 of the drum cam M. ,Each rod is prolonged at w. The pairsof rods w slide through guiding holes 113 formed in bosses 114 on theshell of the rotary carrier Q; and their portions to slide through bores115, formed in bosses on the right hand end of the shell portion 1' andin the end disk h where these members of the carrier Q join, as shown atthe right in Figs. 2 and 5.

As the carriers P and Q revolve they carry the rollers q and 2 around inthe grooves of the respective cams L and M. The groove 112 in the cam M,acting on the rollers 2 moves the rods w and the can body guides 34, 35carried by them for carrying the fed in can bodies into working positionbetween the wave bending rolls resacse 2, 4, 5; and subsequently at theend of the wave bending operation the cam groove 112 imparts a returnmovement to these rods and guides whereby the treated can body is fedout from between the rolls 2, 4, 5 into position for feeding out fromthe machine.

For feeding the can bodies to be treated into the machine, they aredelivered by any suitable known can body handling means into a chute 0rreservoir R, which is shown in Fig. 1 as mounted in stationary andpreferably inclined position at the upper part of the machine. The canbodies B, B descend through this feeding chute, the lowermost onedropping to the position shown in Fig. 3, where it is arrested by anysuitable part, this function being conveniently performed by the hubs116, 117, on which are mounted the guides 34, 35, which have concavefaces 119 to receive the can body. The rotary carriers turn in thedirection of the arrows a." in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. During this rotationthe can bodies are carried around circumferentially from the enteringposition under the chute R to a delivering position, where they aredropped into a delivery chute S having an inclined bottom 118, downwhich they roll and are discharged out from the machine.

As each can body is delivered into the machine at the foot of the chuteR it enters through the rotation of the carriers between the two canbody guides 34 and 35 which are aligned with its opposite ends, as shownin Fig. 2. These guides are relatively adjustable to adapt them to thelength of the particular can body to be treated, and are made slightlyself-adjusting by the yielding of a spring 120 (Fig. 11) tending to drawthem together, with a screw pin 121 for limiting their approach, theseparts being applied to the hubs 116, 117, one of which is keyed on therod w. and the other has a sliding connection with a spline 122 (Fig.10) to prevent rotative displacement. The movable guide 34 has a lug 123which is engaged by a projection 124 (Figs. 5 and 10) forming anabutment stop so that in the retracted or feeding-in position the lugabuts the projection and *is thereby stopped to hold the guides 34, 35sufliciently apart to permit the can bodies to fall freely in betweenthem. The same condition occurs in the feeding out position, so that thetreated can body may freely drop out from between the guides.

Theguides 34, 35 for each can body are preferably divided into twosections, as shown best in Fig. 3, each section being mounted on its ownrod to so that by the simultaneous movement of the twin rods the twosections move as one.

They are shaped, as best shown at the top of Fig. 3, to engage the endof the can body B, while the open space between them is suflicientlylarge to keep them free from the internal roll 2 when the guides areadvanced to feed the can body onto this roll. To hold the respectiveguide sections in their proper angular positions each is keyed, splined,or otherwise non-rotatively mounted (as above described) on its rod to,and the two rods are keyed or otherwise nonrotatively engaged with theircommon head .1].

Shortly after each can body is received between the guides 34, 35,.theseguides are advanced by the operation of,the cam groove 112, whereby thebody is displaced endwise for a distance exceeding its length andcarried onto the internal roll 2 and between this and the external rolls4 and 5. This movement is completed about the time the-can body reachesthe position shown at B in Fig. 3. Shortly after feeding the can bodythus over the inner roll the outer rolls are advanced in the manneralready described through the action of the cam L to bring these rollsinto working engagement with the inner roll 2, as shown at the right inposition 3 in Fig. 3. position B and to a point between the positions Band B the wave bending operation of the respective rolls is performed;that is to say, the external rolls force the sheet metal of the can bodyagainst the yielding surface of the internal roll with sufficientpressure tocause the sheet metal to penetrate into the cushion formed bythe yielding surface portion of the internal roll, thereby forming twoconcave wave portions in the sheet metal with an intervening convex waveportion, as shown in Fig. 3 at positions B and B. Since the internalroll is revolving, it carries the .can body around with it so that thiswave bending action progresses circumferentially around the can body;and this is performed for one or .more revolutions, sufficient toaccomplish the requisite wave bending operation in the manner describedin the pending application hereinabove referred to. When a sufllcientduration of wave bending has thus been performed the external rolls 4',5 are moved back slightly so that they no longer force the sheet metalof the can body to penetrate the cushioning surface of the internalroll, this being the condition shown at B and 13 in Fig. 3. In thisposition of the external rolls their pressure against the can body andinternal roll is just sufficient to roll out any residual waves that maybe left in the can body at the termination of the wave bendingoperation; thereby smoothly rounding the can body and bringing it intoits final perfected form, ready for delivery out from the machine.

For ejecting the treated can bodies after the return movement of theguides 34, has .fed them out from between the respective rolls, toinsure their falling in correct time into the delivery chute S, a seriesof ejecting levers T are provided, one for each unit. These levers arepivoted, as shown in Fig. 4, on the rods w, and are formed with twoarms, the one carrying a pin 130, and the other projecting outwardly soas in the ejecting position to encounter a roller cam 131 (Fig. 4)whereby the lever is rocked so that its pin 130 which projects betweenthe can body B and the inner shell 1' exerts an outward thrust againstthe can body, thereby throwing it into the chute S. The levers T, T areretract-ed by springs 132, shown in Figs. 4 and 12. In their retractedposition the pins extend inward closely adjacent to the inner shell 7'where they lie slightly beyond the feeding-in position of the enteringcan bodies.

For the proper support of the infeeding chute R and the outfeeding chuteS, a fixed frame U is provided, shown as in the form of an arch, withits feet bolted to the base J. This frame carries adjustable rods 135,135, on which are adjustably fastened the side walls 136 of the chute R,which also has guide strips 137 adjustably fastened within these walls,the construction thus-being such as to admit of the chute R being variedin dimensions for any size can body to be treated. To prevent anypossible misplacement of the can bodies in a rapidly moving machine, aguard plate 140 is provided in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3,being conveniently supported by bolting to a rod 141 clamped by a setscrew 142 to a collar While moving past the- 143 which is fastened bysetv screws on one of the rods 135.

The delivery chute S issupported by being provided with brackets 145(Fig. 1) adiustably fas tened by bolts to the foot portion "of the frameU. An apron V is desirably provided beneath the units in theiractivepositions, as shown in Figs. 1. 2 and 3, being supported by abracket 146 bolted adjustably to the base J.

The multiple unit machine thus described is capable of continuousoperation at a high rate of speed, receiving the can bodies continuouslyfrom the feed chute and ejecting them in rapid succession for deliverythrough the outgoing chute. The method performed by the machine isprecisely that set forth in the aforesaid application, Serial No.628,339, and the rolls or rollers for performing the wave bending may beof any of the kinds therein described. The only essential is that intheir rotary progress the respective internal and external rolls movetogether into operative relation, the preferable way of accomplishingthis being to mount the internal rolls on spindles in fixed bearingsrelative to the carrier P and to make the spindles carrying the externalrolls radially movable during the angular progression of the units dueto the rotation of their carriers. The arrangement of the bending rollswith their axes parallel on an essentially drumshaped carrier as hereinshown is the preferable arrangement. It will be understood that thecombination of the wave rolling units into a multiple unit machine asherein shown and described is capable of variation in arrangement and instructural details and in mechanical expedients for communicating motionto the parts, all within the scope of the discretion of the engineeringdesigner.

While the machine as herein described is for the treatment of canbodies, it is to be remarked that such bodies are essentially sheetmetal tubes, the machine being applicable to the rounding and the truingof other such tubes or similar sheet metal articles, it being understoodthat any forms of tubular sheet metal articles are included in the termcan bodies" as herein used.

I claim:

1. A machine for treating can bodies comprising a plurality of unitseach consisting of internal and external wave-bending rolls, forengaging the sheet metal body between them, with means for rotating themto act circumferentially on the body, with rotative carrying means forsuch units, and means comprising opposite guides engaging the bodybetween them, movable to feed successive bodies between the rolls fortreatment and to remove the treated bodies from between the rolls.

2. A machine according to claim 1, with a stationary cam, and meansmoving with the units, engaged by said cam and actuating said feedingmeans.

3. A machine according to claim 1, the said guides relatively movable,with means for separating them in the feeding in or out positions andclosing them together to embrace the body in the intermediate positions.

4. A machine according to claim 1, one of said guides movable toward orfrom the other, a spring drawing them together, and a fixed abutmentengaging such movable guide to separate the guides to free the body.

5. A machine according to claim 1, said guides having carrying meanssliding parallel with the 4- meaoaa roll axes for pushing the bodiesinto working position.

6. A machine for forming smoothly rounded can bodies comprising aplurality of units each consisting of internal and external revolvingwave-bending rolls, adapted to receive the sheet metal body between themand to roll the body circumferentially under pressure suflicient to flexit and stress it beyond its elastic limit, with means for driving therolls, and means for introducing the bodies between the rolls ofsuccessive units for treatment by displacing them for their entirelength and for removing the treated bodies by oppositely displacing thembeyond the rolls, the means for introducing the bodies between the rollscomprising guides and carrying means therefor sliding parallel with theroll axes for pushing the bodies into working position, said carryingmeans for each unit having a roller, and a stationary cam engaging saidrollers for imparting longitudinal movements to said carrying means.

7. A machine for forming smoothly rounded can bodies comprising aplurality of units each consisting of internal and external revolvingwave-bending rolls, adapted to receive the sheet metal body between themand to roll the body circumferentially under pressure sufficient to flexit and stress it beyond its elastic limit, with means for driving therolls, and means for introducing the bodies between the rolls ofsuccessive units for treatment by displacing them for their entirelength and for removing the treated bodies by oppositely displacing thembeyond the rolls, the internal and external rolls being relativelymovable by means of movable carrying parts on which at least one of suchrolls for each unit is mounted, and toggle means being provided toengage such carrying parts for imparting to them the respectivemovements, stationary actuating means being also provided to operatesuch toggle means for imparting said movements.

8. A machine for forming smoothly rounded can bodies comprising aplurality of units each consisting of internal and external revolvingwave-bending rolls, adapted to receive the sheet metal body between themand to roll the body circumferentially under pressure sufficient to flexit and stress it beyond its elastic limit, with means fordriving therolls, and means for introducing the bodies between the rolls ofsuccessive units for treatment by displacing them for their entirelength and for removing the treated bodies by oppositely displacing thembeyond the rolls, the machine having a stationary shaft, fixed framessupporting it, a carrying means for the units. rotatively mounted onsaid shaft and including a shell portion, reciprocating members forintroducing the can body between the rolls, and a stationary cam fixedlymounted on said shaft for reciprocating said members, said shell portionforming a bearing support for said recipro'cating members and enclosingsaid stationary cam within it.

9. A machine for treating tubular canbodies with open ends for bringingthem to smoothly rounded form, comprising a plurality of units, eachconsisting of an internal revolving roll and at least one externalrevolving roll adapted to receive the sheet metal body between them, andon being'forced together to roll the body circumferentially underpressure to flex and stretch it beyond its elastic limit, with means fordriving the rolls, means for successively feeding the bodies between therolls of successive units by displacing the bodies endwise in adirection parallel to the axes of the rolls for a distance equal totheir entire length, means for thereafter forcing the rolls together toso roll the body between them, means for then separating the rolls, andmeans for feeding off the treated bodies by oppositely displacing themendwise to carry them beyond the rolls, the means for fee'ding'andremoving the bodies comprising guide plates for acting against oppositeends of a body, and.

means for moving said plates in one direction for feeding on and in theopposite direction for feeding off, each such movement exceeding thelength of the body.

10. A machine for treating tubular can bodies with open ends forbringing them to smoothly rounded form, comprising a plurality of units,each consisting of an internal revolving roll and at least oneextemalrevolving roll adapted to receive the sheet metal body betweenthem, and on being forced together to roll the body circumferentiallyunder pressure to flex and stretch it beyond its elastic limit, withmeans for driving the rolls, means for successively feeding the bodiesbetween the rolls of successive units by displacing the bodies endwisein a direction parallel to the axes of the rolls for a distance equal totheir entire length, means for thereafter forcing the rolls together toso roll the body between them,

means for then separating the rolls, and means for feeding off thetreated bodies by oppositely displacing them endwise to carry thembeyond the rolls, the means for feeding and removing the bodiescomprising guide plates for acting against opposite ends of a body,supporting means for each pair of guide plates comprising a slidecarrying said plates, and means for successively moving said slidesinone direction for feeding on bodies and in the opposite direction forfeeding off.

FRANK KRUEGER.

